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Space Fighters Long Distance
Space Fighters Long Distance - No one in the Union and certainly not the strategy and tactical planners of Fleet Command argue the effectiveness of space fighters. Many of these experts even suggest that it is the use of heavy armed and fast space fighters that guarantees the military supremacy of the Union, even more than battle ships and the Translocator cannon. Not many space faring societies have developed this kind of space warfare. Those who do however are among the most successful in military terms. Chief among them are of course the Nul and the Dai. Space fighters are not only deployed from carriers or Battleships but also from stationary bases to respond fast to any threat that enters a system. Fighters have one distinct draw back and that is their range. Fighters need to be small 1 and have little room for lots of fuel. Their engines are high performance race engines with an equal high maintenance requirement. Union Wolfcraft fighters have a range of 10 to 20 light years at most (Twenty with less weapons and extra tanks). Yet especially border stations and check points use fighter wings as a cheaper and faster alternative to battle ships 2 and similar large combatants to react to border incidents or interception tasks. However due to the immense distances between check points, fighters are simply not able to reach more distant trouble spots. Other larger units are not always available and if they are not able to react with the same speed fighters can.3 Another task where fighters with a longer range are useful is flying escort for important transports, post ships and passenger ships in regions where trouble is likely. The Small Craft development bureau called for design proposals for a Long Range Fighter with an extended range of at least 100 Light Years, but with similar combat capabilities as a Wolfcraft and not exceeding Wolfcraft size by 20 percent. One of the results of this design challenge was the development of the Scorpion Craft (designated a Minor Space Combatant rather than a fighter). Another development was the Gazelle (A Wolfcraft based recon craft with minimal weapons) An ancient pre astro concept of in flight refueling by tanker craft was proposed and rejected to be impractical in space. More than a hundred proposals and prototypes were introduced and none really performed as the Fleet specs requested. Only a few trial models like the Attikan Anaconda have been considered and 5000 units have been ordered for trials. The design challenge remained open till the Dai joined the Union and their legendary designer Su-Hi begun working for the Union and the now legendary Advanced Space Combatant Design Bureau was founded. Where he, alongside Heinrich Steinmann and Steve Anderson of SII Aerospace rang in a new age of Union fighter development. Not only the now famous Karhi-Wolfs was a result of their cooperation but also the lesser known SSA 12 ( the first real long range fighter ever produced with a range of almost 155 light years and the same firepower as a Wolfcraft IV). The SSA 12 was replaced in 5044 when the Design Team added Nul experts, with the legendary but little known XON-1. Now in 5050 the XON 2 is earmarked to replace all fighters of the Union Fleet as its main fighter craft having a range of 240 light years, more fire power than the latest Wolfcraft and faster than even the Karhi-Wolfs. The feat was possible with the help of the incredible miniaturization expertise of the Mini Terrans and the rugged dependable engine mantle design based on the Nul fighters completely redesigning Attikan high performance engines. These new fighters carrying the SFL hull designation. 1 The smaller and less mass a fighter has the more it can maneuver at high speeds. 99 percent of the energies required are used to counteract the tremendous gravitational forces created by acceleration and course changes. 2 Maintaining a fighterwing or even several is much less complicated and expensive than maintaining a Super cruiser or even a Battleship. (See the Logistics and costs of a Battleship ) 3 A Wolfcraft fighterwing can be in space and en-route in in less than 5 minutes (Non Alert status) and less than that if a Hot standby team of pilots is maintained) A Destroyer sitting at a space port is considered very fast if it manages to reach space in 15 minutes. Taking a Battle ship from condition green sitting on a space port to Battle stations and en-route will take up to an hour. Maintaining a battle ship under Condition Yellow all the time is simply not feasible or would require constant crew rotations. Category:Spacecraft Class Category:Spaceships